Pages

Sunday, 20 November 2016

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today the World has come together to mark the 17th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance with tributes flooding in across social media.

TDoR first started in 1999 when it was founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender woman in the United States, to remember the murder of a trans woman, Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts.

Cities around the world will hold vigils where the names of trans lives lost over the past year, due to anti-trans violence, will be read out.

Here in the UK an event will be held at London's Centenary Building, Spencer Street at 5pm.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a tweet that "London is a city for everyone regardless of gender or background".

Meanwhile the Department of Education has also become the first Government department to fly the Trans Pride flag on TDoR.

The Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn also made the following tribute: "We remember those who have tragically lost their lives and offer our condolences on this day to their loved ones. And in remembering them we offer our solidarity to transgender people and others fighting for equality everywhere".

On social media the hash tag #TDoR has been widely used to raise awareness of the day...

Meanwhile Orange is the New Black star and LGBT activist Laverne Cox said: "I dream of a world where trans people will no longer be killed for who they are".

Today I have seen some utterly shocking statistics, for example in Brazil, over the past year, 123 transgender people have been murdered, with 52 murdered in Mexico.

A lot of ignorance still exists within our society towards trans people and I hope that days like this raise awareness and urge people to get educated and be vigilant.